“My name is Kurian Jacob. I am 76 years old, and I was born and brought up in Kerala. I completed my postgraduate studies in Physics and went on to have a banking career that lasted around 45 years.
I was born in a house in front of a river. So, water was always around me. As a child, I naturally started swimming in the river. I often joke that I may have learnt swimming before I learnt to walk. Later, when I moved to a college hostel, there was another river nearby, and my college also had a swimming pool. Swimming was always a passion for me, but I never thought of it as a competitive sport. During my college days, I was more interested in athletics, cricket, and other sports. I was even the athletic captain. I also played water polo, and our college team finished second in the university. Throughout my working life, I continued swimming whenever I could. But I mainly saw it as exercise and something I enjoyed.
I retired at the age of 67 after more than four decades of working. Like many people, I had started thinking about what I would do after retirement. I wanted to remain physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Then, in 2019, something unexpected happened. Some of my former college colleagues invited me to participate in a Masters swimming competition. I was 69 years old. Until that point, I had never participated in a swimming competition. I decided to give it a try. At the Kerala State Masters Swimming Competition, I participated in freestyle and breaststroke events. I won four medals - two gold and two silver. That experience changed something in me. I realised that perhaps I had a talent that I had never explored seriously.
After the state competition, I qualified for the national-level competition in Baroda. I went there with the team, but I did not win a medal. Instead of feeling discouraged, I became more determined. I realised that although I had been swimming for decades, I had never really learnt proper swimming techniques. I was essentially a river swimmer. So, I began teaching myself. I watched swimming training videos on YouTube in the evenings and went to the pool the next morning to practise what I had learnt. This became the beginning of my competitive swimming journey. I started training more seriously and soon began winning gold medals at the national level in my age group.
In 2023, when I was 73, I participated in the European Masters competition in Finland. I went there hoping that I might win at least a bronze medal. To my surprise, I came back with five medals — three silver and two bronze. It was much more than I had expected. More than the medals, the experience of competing with swimmers from different parts of the world opened up a new world for me. In 2024, I participated in the Pan American Masters competition in the United States. I won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. Then came the World Masters competition in Taiwan in 2025.
I was 75 at the time and was the youngest swimmer in the 75–79 age group. It was one of my most memorable competitions. I won two gold, three silver, and four bronze medals. The scale of the event was incredible. It felt almost like the Olympics for Masters athletes. In 2026, I participated in the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi. I took part in seven swimming events, including pool swimming and open-water swimming. I got 5 gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. Today, I have won 122 medals, including 25 international medals. But I don’t look at these numbers only as achievements. For me, every medal represents a lesson, a training session, a new experience, and another reason to keep going. My next big goal is the 2027 Kansai World Masters competition in Japan.
Last year, I also participated in Khyaal’s 50 Above 50, India’s Biggest Talent Hunt for Seniors. I was selected as one of the top 10 finalists in the Sportsperson of the Year category. I believe Khyaal has provided much-needed encouragement and an excellent platform for seniors to pursue their passions. Although I am not able to attend many sessions on the Khyaal app, I am grateful to be a part of the active and thriving community of seniors at Khyaal.
I wake up before 6 AM and reach the pool by 6:30. I train for almost two hours, six days a week, and cover around three kilometres on most days. For me, consistency is more important than doing something once in a while. I also follow a simple lifestyle with intermittent fasting and a regular home-cooked diet. I enjoy making fermented vegetables, bone broth, and kombucha, an interest that began when I discovered fermented foods during my time in Kuwait. Alongside swimming, I started creating content on social media and now have a community of more than 18,000 followers. I create my own videos and share what I learn about swimming, exercise, traditional practices, food, and healthy living. I am still learning new things and exploring new ways to connect with people. I do not believe retirement means stopping. At 69, I discovered competitive swimming, and it has now become my second profession. Today, I continue to train, compete, and set new goals. At 76, I am preparing for my next competition. This itself makes me happy.
My message to fellow seniors is simple: stay active, keep moving, and never think that it is too late to begin something new.” - Kurian Jacob (Khyaal Club Member)